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Money Matters

It’s no secret that college students are usually broke. Extra cash for something as simple as a midnight McDonald's run, flowers for your roommate, or a date night at the movies can be, to put it simply, quite scarce.

And you don’t want to be the one to miss out on a good time just because you don’t have spending cash, do you?

So, here’s a few ways to start saving that pocket money so you can enjoy those evenings out with friends or buy that extra coffee on this especially cool, fall day.

Save your fives

Open a jar, a big sock, literally anything, and start putting all your five dollar bills away.

Here’s the thing: if you only save ones, you won’t get anywhere substantial anytime soon and you’ll likely lose motivation. But aren’t tens and twenties just too much to sacrifice? So, start putting those fives away and just watch how fast they all add up. You’d be surprised.

Milk it

Just the fact that you are a college student allows you special privileges you never knew you had. Just click this linkand be blown away. Clothes. Technology. Food. You name it.

Your local area likely has a handful of awesome discounts, too. So don’t be afraid to ask before you pay for something, “Do you by any chance have a student discount?”

Scholarships galore

The well of financial resources from private foundations is simply incredible. You can find scholars scholarships for minorities, athletes, military kids, ministry kids, aspiring writers, artists, musicians, you name it. There are hundreds of thousands out there, waiting to be awarded to the right, willing student, if only they would take the time and effort to seek it out. Some of them are only $200, others are over $10,000. Take a look through these websites, and we guarantee you will find something worth your time.

Cash for gas

If you’re the friend with the car, chances are, everyone’s riding with you. You drive to coffee dates, you drive everyone to Washington, D.C., on the weekends, you drive to McDonald's at two in the morning. After a while, these trips pile up, and you’ve spent $40 driving someone else around. Don’t be afraid to just ask, (kindly, of course), “Hey, would you mind chipping in?” Your friends will completely understand.

Pick One

One item per week—just go without it. Whether it’s the pint of ice cream you bought last night or the new shirt you wanted so badly, choose one thing you can live without, and do just that. Week one could be coffee, week two could be restaurants and food out, week three could be shopping, and so on. After all, it’s only seven days at a time. How hard could that be?

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As the old saying goes, a penny saved is a penny earned. Comment below if any of these saving strategies have worked for you!